Vacuum cleaner appliance



Nov. 2, 1943. D. H. REEVES VACUUM CLEANER APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 27, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet l M ,1! INVENTOR.

Nov. 2, 1943.

D. H. REEVES VACUUM CLEANER APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 27, 194 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mfl INVENTOR.

BYW MW 1 flttorney's Nov. 2, 1943. D. H. REEVES VACUUM CLEANER APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 27, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

A 9 fl%r Patented Nov. 2, 1943 VACUUM CLEANER APPLIANCE Donald H. Reeves, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application September 27, 1941, Serial No. 412,652 Claims. (01. 230-429) This inventionrelates to domestic appliances and more particularly to an appliance for use in vacuum cleaning.

It is now well recognized that different cleaning operations require different vacuum cleaner action. Some types of cleaning require a high suction whereas other types of cleaning do not require such a high suction but require a larger volume of air to be circulated.

One object of this invention is to provide an improved means for varying the degree of suction of a vacuum cleaner.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved means for varying the volume of air handled by a vacuum cleaner.

More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide a simple means for causing air to flow either through two air impellers arranged in series or through two air impellers arranged in parallel.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for rendering at least one section of -a multiple section vacuum cleaner fan inoperative during operation of the vacuum cleaner.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view partly in section showing a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the arrangement of the fans when two fans are arranged in series;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the air flow when the air flows through two of the fans in parallel;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the air flow directing element; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 in Fig. 1.

For purpose of illustration, I have shown my invention applied to a tank type of cleaner, whereas it is equally applicable to other types of cleaners.

Referring now to Fig. 1, reference numeral I0 designates the main vacuum cleaner casing which is in the form of a cylinder within which there is suitably supported a conventional dust collecting bag l2 and a motor H. The motor I4 is adapted to drive a fan assembly generally I8, 20 and 22.

designated by the reference numeral Hi. The fan assembly [6 comprises three rotatable fan sections designated by the reference numerals The fan sections are adapted to be driven by the main motor shaft 24 in accordance with well known practice. The fan assembly I6 is mounted within the shroud 26 which assists in directing the flow of airthrough the fan assembly. An air inlet 28 is provided in the of fan section 22.

position the fans l8 and 20 are both operative.

shroud 26. air flow directing element 30 is stationarily supported within the shroud 26 by means of brackets 32 which are rigidly secured to the element 30 in any convenient manner such as by welding. The outer ends of the bracket 32 are secured to the shroud 26 by means of screws 34. In order to select the particular fan sections in operation and in order to direct the flow of air through the fan assembly, I have provided an air flow control element 36, the shape of which is best shown in Fig. 5. The element 36 is slidably mounted within shroud 26 and is adapted to oc- 3 and 4, a knob 38 carried by the member 36,

projects through a slot 40 in the shroud 26 and the outer casing Ill. The element 36 may be moved back and forth merely by sliding the knob 38 within the slot 40.

When the element 36 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3, the air coming in through the inlet 28 is caused to flow through the fan unit 18, the air flow directing element 30 and the fan 22 in series and is thereafter discharged through the outlet 46 in the manner indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3.

By virtue of this arrangement, the air flows through the fan sections I8 and 22 in series whereby a high degee of vacuum may be produced at the nozzle 48. It will be noted that the outlet of the fan section 20 is closed by the flange 31 provided on the element 36 when the element 36 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 3. It will also-be noted that the apertures 43 provided in the element 36 are in alignment with the air flow directing element 30 whereby the air leaving thre fan section I8 is directed to the inlet of the fan section 22.

When the element 36 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, the flange 31 closes the opening to the air flow directing element 30, which otherwise would supply air to the inlet When the flange 31 is in this The arrangement of the fan sections 18 and 20 As best shown in Figs. 1, 3 and 6, an

is such that the air is caused to flow through these fan sections in parallel as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 4. Parallel air flow through two fans causes a larger volume of air to flow than when the air flowed through two fans in series.

Referring to the, showingof the element 36 in Fig. 3, it will be noted that the conical position 38 of the element 36 separates the outlet of the fan I! from the discharge end of the casing l whereby the air-leaving the fan I 8 must fiow through the air flow directing element 30 and the fan 22 before leaving the exit 46. When the element 36 occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, the air flows directly from the outlet of the fans I! and 20 through the openings ll provided in the element 36 and thereafter through the exit 48.

For the purpose of illustration, all of the fan sections are shown of the same size, whereas in actual practice it may be desirable to make certain fan' sections larger than other fan sections. The most practical size for each fan section will be determined by the use for which the cleaner is designed and also by the size and type of motor used. Preferably it is desirable to so design the fan sections that the load on the motor is substantially the same irrespective of the positioning of the element 36. However, for certain installations it may be desirable to so design the fans that the load on the motor may be greater in the one position of the element 36 than in the other positionof the element 36.

tion, a casing having an air inlet and an air outlet, a first fan in said casing, a second fan in said casing, a common air inlet for said first and second fans, a common discharge chamber for said first and second fans, a third fan, and means for supplying air from said common discharge chamber to the inlet of said third fan.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising in combination, a casing having an air'inlet and an air outlet, a first fan in said casing, a second fan in said casing, a'common air inlet for said first and second fans, a common discharge chamber for said first and second fans, a third fan, means for supplying air from said common discharge chamber to the inlet of said third fan, and means for rendering one of said fans inoperative.

3. In combination, a motor, a plurality of fans operated by said motor, means for directing the flow of air through said fans, said last named means including means for directing air either through one pair of said fans in parallel or 4 through a different pair of said fans in series, one

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed, constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that otheriorms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising in combinaof said fans being common to each of said pairs.

4. In combination, a plurality of impellers, means for directing the flow of fluid through said impellers, said means including means for selectively directing fluid through one pair of said impellers in parallel or through a difi'erent pair of said impellers in series, one of said impellers being common to each of said pairs.

5. In combination, a casing having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, a first impeller in said casing, a second impeller in said casing, a common fluid inlet for said first and second impellers, a common discharge chamber for said first and second impellers, a third impeller, and means for supplying fluid from said common discharge chamber to the inlet of said third impeller.

' DONALD H. REEVES. 

